Tilting chair mechanism



Aug. 17, 1954 M. Fox

TILTING CHAIR MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 27, 1950 PIE- 1 ug. 17, 1954 M. Fox

TILTING CHAIR MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27, 1950 PIE- L f7 if,

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Patented Aug. 17, 1954 UNITED STA'l'L,

This? CFFICE TILTING CHAIR MECHAN ISM Martin Fox, Chicago, Ill

Company,

assignor to The Seng a corporation of Illinois 3 Claims. 1

rThis invention relates to a tilting chair mechanism, and in particular it relates to a mechanism which normally retains the chair seat in an upu right position, but which permits one sitting in the chair to shift the chair seat to a reclining position merely by shifting the weight of the body.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple, rugged mechanism by which a lounge chair may be disposed selectively in upright or reclining position merely by shifting the weight of the body, and which normally retains the chair in upright position.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. l is a plan view oi a tilting chair embodying the invention, with the seat and seat supporting springs partly broken away to show the tilting mechanism; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof, with a portion illustrated sectionally, as indicated along the line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a lounge chair oi the type in which the mechanism is employed, the chair seat and back being illustrated in full lines in normal upright position, and in broken lines in reclining position; Fig. l is a front elevational View oi such a lounge chair; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken as indicated along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2; and 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken as indicated along the line 6 5 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the lounge chair has a Wooden base frame, indica-ted generally at it, which is supported on a plurality or legs il; and a seat frame, indicated generalhT at ll, is movably secured to the base frame iii by means of the mechanical linkage which is the subject oi this invention. The seat frame li includes a back i3 and arms ifi, the seat and haci: being provided with upholstery lli which is supported on zigzag metal springs l5.

As best seen in iigs. 5 and 6, a, pair of metal angle plates ll are secured to the side members of the base frame lil by means oi screws l, said plates having horizontal front slots l@ and rear slots 2i) which have short horizontal portions 2l at their forward ends and incline downwardly and rearwardly from said portions 2|.

A pair of slider arms 22 are secured to the side members or the seat frame IE by means of screws 23, said slider arms having iront offset portions 2d and rear offset portions 25 to receive headed studs 2S and 2l, respectively. The headed studs 25 extend through the front horizontal slots l of the metal plates Il, and are provided with washers 28 and springs i9 which are held in compression by flanges 3B so that the washers 23 yieldingly grip the plates il. The rear headed studs 2l extend through the rear slots 2G of the plates il and have flanges 3l retaining them in engagement with said slots so that the slider arms 22 are free to slide in the slots i9 and of the plates Il.

Springs 32 are tensioned between spring studs 33, which are located toward the front of the plates Il, and second spring studs 34 which are located toward the rear of the slider arms 22; and these springs yieldingly urge the slider arms 22 to the iront of the slots I9 and 2t. Thus the studs 2Q normally abut against the iorward ende of the front slots It, and the studs 2l normally rest upon the horizontal portions 2l of the rear slots il). When the slider arms 22 are in their normal position (the full line position or Fig. 6) as above described, the chair seat assumes the upright position which is shown in full lines in Fig. 3. The chair seat remains its normal upright position when a person sits in the chair, the force of the springs 32, combined with the binding action of the spring loaded washers 2t and studs 2li, being suficient to hold the studs 2l on the horizontal portion 2l oi the rear slots 2o. lf a person using the chair wishes to shift it to reclining position, he need only lift his weight very slightly ofi the seat and shift his weight rearwardly, or lean against the back and push with his feet, to move the studs 2l oli the horizontal portions 2l and permit the slider arms 22 to move rearwardly until the studs 2li and 2l abut against 'the rear ends of the slots lil and 2li. The mechanism will then be in the position show in broken lines in Fig. 6, and the chair seat will be in the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 3. To return the chair seat to normal upright position, the person sitting in it need only shift his weight forward and support him self principally on his feet for a moment so that the springs 32 may return the mechanism to its normal forward position.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modications will be obvious to those skilled inthe art.

I claim:

l. A metal fixture providing tilting mechanism for a lounge chair, comprising: a metal plate adapted to be attached to the base frame of a lounge chair, said plate having a front slot which is substantially horizontal and a rear slot which is downwardly and rearwardly inclined and has a short substantially horizontal portion at its forward end; a slider arm adapted to be attaehed to the seat frame of said lounge chair, said slider arm having headed studs extending through the slots in the metal plate; and a tension spring extending between the slider arm and a forward portion of said metal plate to urge the studs to the iront of said slots.

2. A meta1 iixture as specified in claim 1 where in one of the headed studs on the slider arm comprises a rivet with a Washer slidable on its shank and a spring under the rivet ange urging the Washer against the metal plate 3. A metal xture as specified in claim 1 wherein one of the headed studs on the slider arm ineludes a resilient member mounted on the shank of the stud which grips the metal plate yieldngly.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,776,418 Dujardin Sept. 23, 1930 2,148,933 FOX Feb. 28, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 26,446 Great Britain 1913 168,685 Great Britain Sept. 12, 1921 

